Catch A Falling Star
by Cap's Best Girl
Summary: A falling star is such a beautiful sight. James Kirk realised this when he meet fellow Starfleet cadet Caroline Jackson. A bright burning light that everyone loves, something that makes your wish come true, but can James work out that a falling star is more important than all of the sights in the universe. James/OC. Slow burn. Please read and review. (On Hiatus)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Caroline walked around the back of the bar shaking her head.

"Starfleet cadets" Tina, the fellow waitress sighed. "Why do they all end up here before they go off to the academy."

Caroline smiled, wiping down the counter seeing one of the regulars making his way towards the bar.

"It's the closest place to make the departure tomorrow morning and get drunk off their face tonight so it does make sense T." Caroline said looking at the sea of red uniforms in the bar. "I mean I'm working here tonight and making that shuttle tomorrow morning, leaving you to the eye candy." Caroline smiled nodding at the regular now at the bar, the one all the female workers and a few of the males had a massive crush on.

Tina smiled, moving slightly further forward so she could get a better look at the regular. "I still don't know why you want to go to the Starfleet Academy anyway. It will be full of people like this." Tina gestured to the red uniforms. "And none of them are that nice. So what are you trying to live up to?" Tina asked leaning forward to serve a customer.

Caroline waited until Tina had finished serving the customer before answering.

"Have you never wanted to see the stars, visit new places and see what is actually out there?"Caroline asked, aware that tension was starting to build between the regular and the red uniforms.

Tina shook her head, still serving other customers.

"Well I have, and joining Starfleet is the perfect way to do so." Caroline said. She was about to continue with a more personal reason when a punch flew between the cadets and the regular.

"Cut it out" Tina shouted, lost in all the noise. Tina shouted again but the noise had increased as more cadets joined in against the one guy. Caroline raised a hand to her mouth and sent out a whistle loud enough to pierce through all the noise in the room, a trick her dad had taught her.

"Outside all of you...NOW" A man standing next to the doorway of the bar, ordered all of the cadets following the command.

The regular laid out on the ground, dazed looking at the man.

"Y'alright son?" The standing man asked.

The regular nodded. "You can... whistle really loud, y'know that?" Before passing out on the bar floor, covered in blood. Tina shook her head. "Who is that guy?" "He is a Starfleet commander." Caroline answered keeping her head down, glancing up every few seconds. "Does he have the right to shut down the bar? And how do you know?" Tina asked turning to face Caroline who was still facing the ground. "No but he didn't shut the bar, he just told everyone to clear out. And you can tell by looking at the uniform." Caroline moved over to the ice bucket, grabbing ice and putting it into a clean towel. The Starfleet commander went and sat at a table waiting on the man waking up. "Well I'm not dealing with all that blood so, I'm going to go talk to Starfleet." Tina walked over and started to talk to the commander, leaving Caroline to tend to the passed out man. Caroline knelt down next to the passed out regular. She placed the ice gently onto the man's cheek, trying to wipe away some of the blood with a napkin. The napkin was quickly covered in blood; Caroline shook her head and placed it on the closest table. Before she could grab another napkin a hand grabbed her other wrist which was still holding the makeshift ice pack. "What happened?" The man spoke quietly, slowly opening his blue eyes. Caroline looked over her shoulder, seeing the commander talking with Tina. "You got beat up." Caroline smiled looking into his dazzling blue eyes. "I was only trying to stop the swelling." Caroline whispered looking at the hand that still had a grip on her wrist. The hand dropped from her wrist but the eyes didn't move from her face. "Why? You don't know me. Why would you help?" The man questioned. "You looked like you could use it. I just thought I could help. I.." Caroline moved her head to avoid the gazing blue eyes, her hair falling in her face. A hand reached up and pushed the chocolate brown hair away from her face. "Well thank you, although I'm pretty sure I was winning. My name's James." He smiled, blood still covering his face but his eyes sparkling. "I'm pretty sure I have seen you here before." Caroline nodded before standing offering her hand to James, who was still on the floor. "I work here, or at least I did. I just worked my last shift. I'm Caroline." The man accepted the offered hand and pushed up off the floor.

The commander looked up from his conversation to find the young man awake and standing.

"Good, son can we talk?" Tina walked away from the commander as James took a step forward, before turning back to Caroline.

"Can we talk after this?" James asked his hand on Caroline's wrist again.

Caroline nodded, walking back to the bar where Tina waited.

Tina smirked slightly at Caroline. "We all tried to talk to him and he was so disinterested, what did you do to him?" Tina asked.

Caroline shook her head "Nothing just tried to clean him up." Caroline glanced at her watch. "No time to go home now. Do you want to head home and I'll lock up?"

Tina nodded "You sure?" Caroline hugged Tina, their usual goodbye.

"Of course I am. I'll just wait until Frank gets here at 5 and head straight for the shuttle." Caroline stepped back. "Take good care of yourself T."

Tina nodded as she pulled her jacket on. "Enjoy the stars Caroline and remember to have fun while you are at it." Tina looked back at the regular. "Although I'm sure you will."

Caroline smiled as Tina walked out the bar the Starfleet Commander leaving a few minutes later.

"So could I get a drink or are you closed?" James said walking back over to the bar where Caroline was cleaning.

"We are closed but here." Caroline placed a beer on the bar.

"So tell me about yourself?" James asked, bringing the beer to his lips.

"Well..." Caroline started.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Well..." Caroline started. "There is nothing to tell."

James swallowed the beer quickly, shaking his head. "Impossible, there is never nothing to tell. For example I was born in space, my mother spent all her time off planet and I have an impressive criminal record and a genius IQ. So there has to be something."

Caroline smiled as she grabbed the beer from James and took a swig. "Fine, I was accepted into the Starfleet Academy at the age of 16 but never went, I was raised her by my grandparents, I was an athlete in high school, I have never been to space but I dream of travelling the stars and I am going to the Starfleet Academy in about 6 hours."

James smiled taking his beer back. "There I already know you better. So how long have you worked here?"

Caroline hopped up on to the counter. "Nearly 9 years. It's an alright job just not what I want to do forever."

"9 years? That's a long time, how old are you?" James asked. "I'm 25."

"A lady never reveals her age. But I'm 25 if you must know, I've worked here since I was 16." Caroline answered.

James shook his head laughing. "So you don't follow the rules I like that. I'm not one for rules either. Did you see the Starfleet guy?" Caroline nodded without speaking letting James continue. "He just offered me a place in the Starfleet Academy that is signing up for a lifetime of rules and regulations. I don't think I could handle that."

Caroline shook her head. "I don't like to look at them as rules and regulations, more recommendations and guidance. I think for a guy like you, from my limited knowledge, living a life here on Earth would be hell. Knowing that the proper adventures are out there but consigning yourself to a small town job not worthy of you, it would kill you. I know it's killing me,"

James smiled, the cuts on his lips stretching enough for small drops of blood to appear underneath his skin. "Recommendations huh? Sounds better than rules. I think you might be right but packing up and going now, isn't it a bit quick?"

"Life moves at the speed you let it, is what my gran says. I have spent 9 years on a serious go slow and it took 8 of them to work out being down here is destroying my soul. I let an opportunity pass once, I can't make that same mistake again. So James what for you is the bigger mistake going and taking the chance or staying and never getting another one?"

Caroline hopped off the counter and walked away from James as he sat thinking about her question. Caroline rearranged the chairs and tables that had been knocked over in the fight and gave the bar a quick clean before walking back over to James, who had helped himself to another beer.

"Worked out your answer yet?" Caroline smiled as she sat down next to James, who stared at her with those sparkling blue eyes.

James nodded. "I'm bored here. My life on Earth has been nothing compared to what it could be anywhere else. My life began in space; I could make a life there. Travelling and exploring, having fun. Does your gran have any other advice to convince me?"

Caroline shook her head "No but my dad does. _You either live life – bruises, skinned knees and all – or you turn your back on it and start dying._ I grew up hearing that. I only recently realised that it makes perfect sense."

James laughed. "Does your family run a fortune cookie factory?" He smiled flashing Caroline a perfect smile.

"Nope, my gran was a Starfleet professor and my dad works for Starfleet like his dad I never knew my mum. What about your family?" Caroline asked.

James winced, his usual reaction to talking about his family. "My mum also worked for Starfleet, she was a science officer but is now an off-world ambassador. I lived with her husband while she worked, he was a complete ass. I never knew my dad; he died the day I was born. I was born on the USS Kelvin, the lightning storm in space."

Caroline sighed. "I'm sorry. My grandda told me about that. I wouldn't have asked if I knew." She smiled apologetically.

James shook his head. "I asked first and I'm sorry about your mum, what happened?"

"I wish I knew, no one ever told me." Caroline answered looking away from James placing her hands on the counter.

James put his hand on top of Caroline's. She stared at their hands, still not speaking.

"I at least got to live with the fact that my dad was a hero. I hate living in his shadow. I will help you find out what happened to your mum one day." James said speaking quietly even though no one else was there.

Caroline turned and looked at James nodding slowly as a small smile grew on her lips. "Thanks." Caroline looks up at the clock on the wall which reads 04:38. "Twenty more minutes and I'm heading away from here. Have you made your final decision, James do you stay or do you come with me?"

"Give me 20 more minutes to decide." James laughed. "I think I know what I'm doing. I'm going to enjoy these 18 minutes left and then I'm going home."

Caroline nodded, upset as the front door to the bar opened.

"Tina, sorry I'm slightly early, the wife woke me up." A male voice said from the door. "I'm sorry I didn't realise you weren't alone and not Tina. Aren't you heading for the shuttle?"

James and Caroline both turned to face the man who stood in the door way.

"Hey Frank. Starfleet cadets caused a fight and this guy was on the end of it, so I offered to clean him up and we have been talking for the rest of the night. I am but I'm just going to go from here all my stuff was sent a few days ago to my gran's place. I'm going to drop James off first though." Caroline stood from her seat and James followed her. "I am not going to miss this place. Bye Frank" Caroline walks out of the bar James just behind her.

"Were you serious about the lift?" James asked pointing away from the bar.

Caroline nodded as she opened her car door, James opening the passenger door on the other side of the car. The pair drove in silence until they reached the address that James had given when they got in the car.

"Thanks for everything Caroline. I'll see you around at some point." James said, breaking the silence as the car pulled to a stop.

Caroline turned to face him. "I hope you find your adventure James. I really do."

James opened the car door and went to leave the car. "Enjoy the stars Caroline." James said before leaning over and kissing her cheek lightly, then leaving the car quickly the dashboard clock reading 05:24.

Caroline drove to her grandparent's house, a five minute walk away from the shuttle station, the drive took nearly 20 minutes and a few broken speed restrictions. Caroline left the keys in the mailbox as she had agreed to do when she left the house hours earlier and all out ran the shuttle. The run took 2 minutes and Caroline arrived at the shuttle station to see the same officer from last night waiting outside the door greeting cadets going on to the shuttle. Caroline took a deep breath not wanting to see the man and walked forward no sign of James in the area.

"Commander" Caroline said not looking up.

The officer looked shocked seeing the woman in front of him. "Care-bear I didn't see your name on the list."

"It is under Caroline Jackson." Caroline replied looking down.

The commander looked surprised as Caroline walked past on to the ship, looking for James although knowing he wasn't coming. She found an empty seat next to a man looking slightly worse for wear, as she sat down she noticed a few of the cadets who took part in the fight last night.

"I hate space." The man next to her said. Caroline turned to look at him.

"Then I think you are in the wrong place." She said a smile on her face.

"Do you know how many ways there is to die in space?" The man answered still looking a bit sickly.

"Millions but there is equally as many on Earth. 42% of accidental deaths take place in a person's own home." Caroline stated looking at the man as a smile grew on his face.

"Leonard McCoy. Medical." Leonard stated offering Caroline his hand, which she accepted.

"Caroline Jackson. Command." They nodded at each other as a man sat on the other side of Leonard and he turned back on his I hate space routine.

"I might throw up on you." Leonard stated to the newcomer.

"I think these things are pretty safe-" A familiar voice replied. Caroline leaned forward in her seat.

"Don't pander to me, kid: one tiny crack in the hull and our blood boils in thirteen seconds - solar flare might crop up, cook us in our seats - Hell, some of the damn passengers are blue. And when you're sitting pretty with a case of Andorian shingles, see if you're still so relaxed when your eyeballs are bleeding- space is disease and danger, wrapped in darkness and silence." Leonard stated as James smiled and Caroline stiffened a giggle.

"I hate to break this to you, but Starfleet operates in space." James replied a smile on his lips

"Yeah, well my ex-wife took the whole damn planet in the divorce, all I got left is my bones. Leonard McCoy." Leonard answered offering James a flask.

"Jim Kirk- you really gonna throw up...?" James asked taking the flask.

**"**Maybe- this is ..." Leonard sat back pointing to Caroline.

"Miss Caroline, surprised to see me?" James asked raising his eyebrows.

"Yes what are you doing here?" Caroline asked imagining what convinced him to come.

James smiled reaching across Leonard taking Caroline's hand. "Finding my adventure."

**Author's Note: Hello please read and review I want to know what you all think. I also want to say thank you to my reviewer Emerald Monkey for my first chapter. Also RIP to the great Leonard Nimoy. Live long and prosper.**


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